Former Vice President Mike Pence received a warm reception Wednesday on Capitol Hill from Republican lawmakers, who applauded him for fulfilling his constitutional role in certifying the results of the 2020 election.
The scene was different Tuesday night in neighboring Maryland, where voters nominated state Delegate Dan Cox as the Republican gubernatorial nominee. Mr. Cox had former President Donald Trump’s full-throated endorsement, rejected the 2020 election results and rebuked Mr. Pence as a “traitor” on Jan. 6.
The split screen was a jarring reminder of the political crosswinds and fierce tug of war within the Republican Party that may not be settled until Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence duke it out in 2024 presidential campaigning.
At the Capitol, Mr. Pence attended a closed-door meeting of Congress’ conservative Republican Study Committee. The response to the former vice president was “very positive,” said Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska.
“He was thanked in there for his courage on Jan. 6, and I think people embraced his message,” Mr. Bacon told reporters.
Mr. Bacon said Mr. Pence did not provide insight into whether he will run for president in 2024, but “people are encouraging him in there to do so.”
Rep. Chip Roy of Texas thanked Mr. Pence for defending the Constitution and certifying the election results, according to Axios. “I’m happy to shout it from Mar-a-Lago to Bedminster … but I just want you to know how grateful we are,” he was quoted as saying.
A Roy spokesperson declined to confirm the comments made in private. His press office later posted a Tweet saying, “Rep. Roy was pleased to attend and thoroughly enjoyed catching up with former VP Pence.”
In neighboring Maryland, Republicans voted to nominate Mr. Cox as the party’s standard-bearer in the November election. Mr. Cox ran on a “Make America Great Again” platform. He echoed much of Mr. Trump’s rhetoric, including stolen election claims and the insistence that Mr. Pence could have done more to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
“Pence is a traitor,” Mr. Cox posted on Twitter on Jan. 6. Mr. Cox later said his comments were meant to “convey a betrayal of us, his voters, and a deep disappointment.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Cox cruised to victory. With 80% of the vote counted, he held a 56.2% to 40.2% lead over Kelly Schulz, who had the support of Gov. Larry Hogan, a staunch anti-Trump Republican and Pence ally. Mr. Hogan said he would not back Mr. Cox in the general election.
A spotlight has been on the Trump-Pence relationship since a pro-Trump mob — some chanting “Hang Mike Pence” — stormed the Capitol to protest the results of the 2020 election.
Mr. Pence stayed on the sidelines for several months before launching Advancing American Freedom, an advocacy group dedicated to merging traditional conservatism with the Make America Great Again movement.
The push has generated some blowback from Trump supporters. Still, there is a clear sense that the former Indiana governor has regained his political footing and is laying the groundwork for a presidential bid that could put him on a crash course with his former boss.
Mr. Pence is staying busy.
After the stop in Washington, he was slated to travel to South Carolina to deliver remarks on “the post-Roe world” at Florence Baptist Temple.
The Pence and Trump worlds will collide Friday with dueling rallies on behalf of their preferred picks in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial race.
Mr. Trump is backing former television news anchor Kari Lake. Mr. Pence is supporting Karrin Taylor Robson, a former member of the Arizona Board of Regents.
Mr. Pence also broke with Mr. Trump in May when he headlined a get-out-the-vote rally for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in his primary race with former Sen. David Perdue.
Mr. Trump recruited Mr. Perdue for the governor’s race to get revenge against Mr. Kemp for rebuffing election fraud claims in 2020.
Mr. Pence is slated to return to Washington on Monday to deliver remarks at The Heritage Foundation on his policy vision.
On Tuesday, he is scheduled to address the Young America’s Foundation’s 44th annual National Conservative Student Conference and deliver the keynote address at the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda Summit.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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